


Did I mention (that I'm in love with you)

by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski are the Same Age, Fluff, M/M, POV Alternating, Pining Derek Hale, Socially Awkward Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski Doesn't Know About Werewolves, Stiles Stilinski in Denial, The Hale Family (Teen Wolf) Lives, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23198071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dutchmoxie/pseuds/dearericbittle
Summary: Stiles is pretty sure that Derek Hale hates him, judging by the way he disappears from the room the second Stiles enters. Derek is pretty sure that the entire world knows about his crush on Stiles Stilinski, and that’s why he has to avoid him. For once the werewolf thing isn’t even his biggest secret.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 77
Kudos: 1440
Collections: Fandom Trumps Hate 2020





	Did I mention (that I'm in love with you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prairiedale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prairiedale/gifts).



> Dedicated entirely to the wonderful Prairiedale, who is a total FTH badass! She prompted high school AU with pining!Derek. Naturally I had to throw in some rambling Stiles and a smidgeon of mates. Because that's how I roll.

Look, Stiles had been in classes with Derek Hale since… third grade maybe? And still he knew almost nothing about him. He played baseball and lacrosse, and sometimes Stiles found him pouring over books in the library - which was completely unexpected for a jock, in Stiles’ opinion. And Stiles had a lot of opinions about jocks. 

One of those opinions was that there was something weird about Derek Hale. 

It was not an opinion that he shared with people, because even though the only Hale son kept his distance from people, he was still beloved. His mother was a local hero, his father a volunteer firefighter who’d saved the lives of people and pets alike. And the children - all three of them - were expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps. 

Laura Hale was on track, away at college to ostensibly become her mother. Stiles had never been quite sure that they didn’t clone Talia Hale and call the younger version Laura. Okay, well, they weren’t perfect physical copies of each other, but personality-wise Laura seemed like the perfect daughter, doing everything that her parents wanted from her. Or just everything her parents had done when they were that age. 

Cora Hale had just started high school, and she was every bit like her father: fearless, a badass, and saving strangers with surprising strength and a gruff comment. 

It was Derek that Stiles never seemed to figure out. He had a perfect GPA - like, in line with Stiles’ and that was really fucking saying something - and managed to be a team star for both lacrosse and baseball. It seemed like he could do everything, except have a personality. 

And he had it out for Stiles - Derek Hale hated him. He was even more distant with Stiles than he was with anyone else, actually going the other way when he knew that Stiles was staring at him or heading his way. And really, what the fuck had Stiles ever done to Derek? He’d thought he’d been pretty damn nice to him, bringing his homework all the way to the Hale house when Derek had been out sick and none of his asshole baseball friends were willing to bring him his homework. He’d been a mentor to Cora for the first couple months of high school, and he’d never been weird to Laura or Derek’s parents. And yet. And fucking yet. 

Stiles had really fucking had it with that bullshit. So he set out to confront Derek - at one point he was going to catch him. Derek wasn’t going to evade him forever. It wasn’t like he had superpowers that allowed him to know when Stiles was coming. 

Even though sometimes it felt like that. 

“Where’s your brother?” Stiles had asked Cora. 

“Off being a total loser,” she’d answered, which really was not a surprising answer. “Good luck with that. Maybe you can help pull his head out of his ass. I think it’s stuck.” 

Laughing was the only response to that, because well, while Stiles didn’t have siblings, he imagined that this was the kind of tough love that was involved in that. 

(He was still holding out hope that his Dad and Melissa were going to get their shit together and then Scott would be his brother. It hadn’t happened yet, but maybe once they went to college?)

“No help for your pal Stiles?” Stiles joked and batted his eyelashes at Cora. 

“Why are you so desperate to find him anyway?” Cora shifted gears to protective kid sister, which was kind of cool too. “I’m not just saying that because he’s a loser and I really don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with him, but if you’re just doing it to be an asshole… Well, no, I’d also endorse it if you were being an asshole. Just your regular asshole behavior though.” 

Why? Well, yeah, was he allowed to tell her he thought her brother was completely fucking fascinating? Because Stiles was completely fucking fascinated. And obsessed. 

That was just how his brain worked, okay? 

“I’m not Jackson,” Stiles rolled his eyes, trying not to be offended. 

“Thank the heavens,” Cora responded in kind. “One of him’s plenty.” 

She was not wrong - even as a perpetual benchwarmer Stiles could tell that while Jackson was good at sports, his attitude was bad enough to more than nullify his skill. The only reason he was still captain was probably because Derek wasn’t allowed to be captain of the baseball team and the vice-president of the GSA and captain of the lacrosse team. That kind of workload was discouraged by their principal. Which sort of made sense. 

Except it left Stiles stuck with Jackson as his captain, which ugh. 

“But seriously,” Stiles had to give it another go. “Your brother. Will you help me out a little? I need to confront him like yesterday. If he never tells me why he fucking hates me, we’ll never get past it. And we’re seniors now. It’s time.” 

Cora laughed in his face and didn’t give him any more information. 

* * *

Derek Hale had been in love with Stiles Stilinski since seventh grade. 

It would have been his biggest secret, had it not been for the whole werewolf thing. That and his sisters weren’t the only people at school who knew about the Stiles thing. 

Boyd, Derek’s best friend, had figured it out relatively quickly, and relatively easily. By the time they entered high school, Derek had finally figured out a coping mechanism that sort of worked for him - avoidance. Boyd had been forced to make a one-eighty turn one too many times just because Derek had spotted Stiles heading for him. 

Even though that ‘on a mission’ look in Stiles’ eye was really attractive, and Derek was happy to stare at him a lot when Stiles wasn’t aware that he was around (ugh, Laura might have been right to start making the Twilight jokes there). Most things about Stiles were stupidly attractive, and even after years and years of exposure, Derek still had trouble dealing with it without reverting to animal instincts. He just wanted to drag Stiles home to his den and keep him. 

Completely embarrassing, and impossible to explain to humans. So he didn’t explain, and he kept his distance at all costs, letting Boyd give him that look that meant that Boyd thought he should make a move already. Because it had worked for Boyd and Erica. 

Derek didn’t know what to make of Erica yet. Boyd had been interested in her for a while, but she’d been too into Stiles to notice. And while a part of Derek applauded her great taste, the thought of Erica possibly still being interested in Stiles gave him stomach pains. Not just because of Stiles, and how Derek wished Stiles was his, but also because of Boyd. 

Or was it selfish of Derek to want Erica and Boyd to stay together? 

Feelings were stupid, and he was terrible at dealing with them. 

“Stiles thinks you hate him,” Cora laughed in his face. 

Case in point. 

“What?” Derek didn’t know what else to say to that. 

“We talked today,” Cora at fifteen was braver than Derek had ever been. “He wants to talk to you, because you keep avoiding him. So congrats, your twenty year plan is working.” 

Cora had talked to Stiles today. Now that he focused on her, he could scent some traces of sugar and Adderall and coffee. She’d been close to Stiles then, somewhere towards the ends of the school day. Otherwise the scent would have been covered up by others already. Cora wasn’t the kind of social butterfly that Laura was, but she had plenty of friends. 

“That’s not,” Derek started to defend himself. 

“That’s not the plan,” Cora tried to sound just like Derek at his grumpiest. “I know, doofus. But you’ve basically been writing Derek Stilinski in your journal for five years now. Don’t you think it’s time to move from dreaming to doing? He isn’t going to be single forever, you know.” 

That was not something that Derek particularly wanted to think about. He didn’t want to consider Stiles noticing Erica, or one of the other people in the unofficial Stiles Stilinski fanclub. There was no way that Derek and Erica were the only people who’d noticed his awesomeness - Stiles was too awesome not to be noticed by everyone. 

But Derek was growly and possessive and stupid about that thought. 

“Don’t growl at me,” Cora warned him. 

“Sorry,” Derek sighed, because it wasn’t her fault. 

Not really, anyway. It wasn’t her fault that Stiles was getting more and more attractive, lacrosse helping him grow into his spindly limbs and his buzz cut growing into that stupid soft-looking hair that Derek just wanted to run his fingers through. Sure, Stiles’ association with Cora was putting him in the spotlight a bit more, but it wasn’t his sister’s fault that Stiles was too attractive for his own good. Sometimes he smiled and Derek felt like he was dying. 

Actively dying. 

Feelings were the worst, and he would have tried to get rid of them ages ago if his mother hadn’t explained to him that Stiles was a potential mate. Someone all sides of Derek agreed on, someone who’d make a good packmate and partner. Someone who might stay. 

“Seriously, Der-Bear,” Cora just had to use Laura’s favorite nickname for him. “I think it’s past time that you actually talk to him. I don’t know how you do it on the lacrosse field, or at your GSA meetings, but at some point actual communication is required. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy conversation. Just don’t walk away from him. For once.” 

Why did she have to ask for the impossible? Honestly?

Derek, talking to Stiles? Next thing she was going to expect that Isaac Lahey’s Dad turn into a decent person. Both seemed equally impossible to Derek, but it seemed like Cora was not going to listen to him explain that to her yet again. 

Didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to try, though. 

“I can’t just say hi,” Derek had to at least try to explain this to Cora. “I have to have some kind of explanation for why I’ve been so weird about him. He’s going to want to know.” 

Stiles was insatiably curious, something that Derek usually admired about him when he wasn’t trying to keep a gigantic, stupid secret from Stiles. And he wasn’t even talking about the werewolf thing, because he was pretty sure that Stiles was going to figure that out after spending about five minutes with Derek. He was that smart - Derek was sure he reeked of pride at his choice of mate at this point. Stiles was too smart for Derek. 

He was never going to like Derek that way, because Derek was an idiot who couldn’t even say hi to him without making a complete fool of himself - and so he just didn’t speak. 

“You’re in love with him,” Cora was losing patience quickly. 

Derek’s voice almost cracked. “I can’t tell him that!” 

Just picturing that conversation made Derek want to whine and hide and figure out the Alpha shift just so he didn’t have to be dealing with these stupid human feelings any longer. Everything was probably much more simple as a wolf. Simple sounded good - and it was going to make it even easier to hide from Stiles. Wolves didn’t have to talk. 

“Well, why the fuck not?” Cora sighed heavily. 

“Cora,” their mom entered the conversation just in time to interrupt the cursing. 

Yeah, he’d scented her coming a little while ago, but pretty much any conversation in the house was free game for the Alpha. Talia Hale was incredibly powerful and incredibly protective of her family. Sometimes Derek was sure that she was more protective of him than she was of the girls, just because he was the only guy and he still had stupid issues with staying in control around certain stupidly attractive humans. 

Laura had never almost shifted in the locker room because there was a cute guy in a towel. 

“Yes, language, I know,” Cora used the interruption as an excuse to get away from Derek. 

“Derek, honey,” his mother was now completely focused on him, and Derek knew that was never a good thing - embarrassment abounded. “I think you should tell him. It’s not very kind to let him keep thinking you despise him when you really want to marry him.” 

His Mom was the absolute fucking worst, coming for him like this. Of course he was completely aware that she knew exactly how he felt about Stiles - she could smell it on him just like the rest of the wolves - but she didn’t have to take after her baby brother like this. It was moments like this that made it really easy to see that Mom and Uncle Peter were related. And Derek would still rather have a million conversations about this with his Mom than have a single talk with Uncle Peter about this. The last time Uncle Peter had brought up sexual positions and Derek had run away from him, wanting to wash out his mind with bleach. 

“Mom!” 

Sure, whining was futile, but he was still an embarrassed teenager, and so he had to. 

“I know, baby,” she told him, smiling gently. “It’s hard, and it’s confusing, and I promise never to let your Uncle Peter talk to you about this again if you just talk to him.” 

Now that might actually make the embarrassment worthwhile. Maybe he could handle a bit of rejection and massive awkwardness if it kept Uncle Peter far away from him. It was a heavy price to pay, but it was probably totally worth it. 

“All I have to do is talk to him?” Derek made sure to check. 

“As long as you say more than hi and bye,” Talia Hale made a solemn promise, “I will make sure to distract your uncle. Trust me, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve.” 

Sometimes his mom was the fucking best. 

* * *

Stiles was starting to suspect that Derek had let him win this time. Instead of his usual: running away almost immediately after their GSA meeting, sometimes leaving important items behind in his hurry to get away from Stiles, Derek had actually taken his time packing up his bag. 

Was this a trap?

After deciding the risk of a trap was probably worth it - and he hadn’t been able to figure out why he’d mind being trapped with Derek - he made his way over. Casually. 

Which meant he pretty much tripped over his own feet about halfway over there, his arms windmilling as he tried to remain on his feet. It worked, mostly because Derek had somehow caught him before he could hit the ground - which was weird, because one, Derek was actually touching him, and two, Derek had been on the other side of the room just seconds ago. 

But Stiles was willing to run with it if Derek just kept touching him. It was new and exciting territory that he was happy to explore. Derek not actively running away from him was exciting enough, and being within arms reach was even better, but this? Something new and different and more than a little scary. 

Derek was strong - like, really strong, like the holding Stiles up easily for a pretty long time kind of strong. And that was kind of really fucking awesome, but also… Derek was only eighteen, and while he was an athlete, he probably shouldn’t have been able to hold up all 149 pounds (what, he’d totally beefed up a bit) of Stiles. Especially not so easily. And for this long a time. 

So, that was probably a clue into the mystery that was Derek Hale. But Stiles couldn’t make a point of it, because Derek was going to run away if he did. Hell, it was surprising enough that Derek hadn’t put Stiles back on his own two feet already, if he hated Stiles as much as Stiles expected him to. 

“You don’t hate me,” Stiles crowed, happily leaning back into Derek’s grip. 

“I don’t,” Derek stammered, immediately putting Stiles back on his own two feet. “I never, I mean, I don’t. I, you, me… I don’t hate you.” 

The second Stiles was back on his own two feet, Derek let go of him. Stiles tried really hard to look like he was not disappointed by that. But he was. He was disappointed, for some reason that he tried really hard not to think too much about while he had Derek in front of him. This was definitely something that he was going to overanalyze when he was home alone later. 

“Great,” he said instead, smiling happily at Derek. “Because I have to be honest, I was a bit worried about that, because you kind of do this thing where you leave a room when I’m in it, and you walk away whenever I look in your direction… And it kinda sucks dude, because I feel like you’re kind of an awesome dude, but I’ll never find out if you keep running away from me. We could totally be friends - more friends is never a bad thing, you know?” 

Derek actually looked pained, which made Stiles worry that he’d said something weird and awkward already. Which wouldn’t be all that surprising, but he really was hoping to make this work with Derek. He was going to find out what was up even if it killed him. 

“It’s not,” Derek managed to say without stammering this time. 

“Yeah, I just have Scott,” Stiles tried to sound real disappointed at that. “I mean I love that idiot, I really do. He’s basically my brother. It’s just that most other people just think I’m weird and I always thought you were one of them, but also you’re like me because you have like one friend. Shit, fuck, I’m not trying to insult you. Not at all. I’m just trying to say that it’s awesome that you have Boyd and I have Scott. Well, maybe you have Erica now too.” 

Erica was awesome, Stiles vaguely remembered from middle school, when he and Heather and Erica and Scott had hung out together a bit more. He’d just always assumed that Erica was Heather’s friend, so when Heather went to a different high school, they kind of fell apart. It sucked, and Stiles had always meant to do something about it… And then he never did. 

Like an asshole. 

“Boyd has Erica,” Derek upgraded to three whole words. 

Clearly, they were getting there. By the end of the conversation there would be full sentences happening, damn it. He was going to make that happen if it killed him. 

Okay, maybe he had too many plans that might kill him. 

“Erica is an awesome friend to have too,” Stiles just figured he might as well fill up any conversational gaps. “She was my friend back in middle school. And Heather too. But now I just have Scott. And I’ve said that already. But I’m definitely on the lookout for more friends. Scott is interested in this girl and I haven’t gotten a word out of him that wasn’t about her.” 

No one should be allowed to get Scott started on Allison Argent. The transfer student was all he ever talked about these days, after she had shown up at the animal clinic after almost running over a stray dog. It had been raining, Scott had said, and then he had proceeded to tell Stiles all about Allison’s smile and her dimples and the way she clearly cared about the dog and how that meant she was a great person and perfect for Scott. Stiles had never spoken to her, but he had not dared to disagree. Still, at some point he needed to find out if she was worthy of his best friend. Because those were the types of things a good bro did for his bro. 

If Derek had someone he was interested in, Stiles was totally up for figuring out if they were good enough for him. Had Derek ever really been interested in someone? Stiles didn’t remember him ever having a girlfriend - or a boyfriend. 

What kind of person would Derek Hale be interested in? 

“Do you want to hang out at my place tonight?” Derek blurted out the question out of nowhere. 

“Dude, yes,” Stiles fistpumped, he was that excited about this friendship overture from Derek freaking Hale. “Like, do you wanna go right now, or do you want me to come over after dinner? What do you wanna do? Do you like video games? You don’t seem like the kind of guy who plays a lot of video games. I have homework to do over the weekend, but we could totally do that together too. If you wanted to. My Dad is on the late shift again, and I was going to be home alone the whole night. On a Friday night. I know, it’s terrible, I’m an embarrassment to teenage boys everywhere.” 

It wasn’t like he usually had epic plans on a Friday night - video game marathon with Scott did not count as epic plans - but he really did not want to sound like a complete loser when finally making friends with Derek Hale. He was going to find out soon enough. 

“I need to check with my Mom,” Derek was turning a bit red. 

Right, it got pretty hot in this room, and that was why no one stuck around after the meeting. 

“Totally,” Stiles nodded effusively. “I’m gonna go grab my shit. Come find me at my locker if you wanna drive to yours together. My baby is actually running today, and I know you don’t have the car right now because Laura is in town for the weekend. Wow, is that creepy? It’s just town gossip, because people have no lives. Anyway, just, you know, get in touch with your mom and let me know. Or I can give you my number? You don’t have that, do you?” 

When Derek was struck mute for some reason - maybe he was talked out for a bit, he did have that introverted vibe about him - Stiles just wrote down his number on a random piece of paper, making extra sure his handwriting was legible for once. 

“Alright dude,” he patted Derek’s shoulder - wow, muscles. “Talk to you in a bit.” 

He could have sworn that Derek made a sound after Stiles turned around, but when he looked back, Derek had turned around, only looking at his bag. 

If he really wanted to find out what was up with Derek, he could have eavesdropped on the phone call with Mrs. Hale - but he wasn’t that much of an asshole. Usually. 

* * *

He was in Stiles Stilinski’s car, heading to the Hale house, because he was actually going to hang out with Stiles one on one. He had Stiles’ phone number saved in his phone and a couple of rambling texts in his message history already. They’d been separated for ten minutes, max. 

Thank God his Mom agreed to keep Peter out of the house for the night - because this managed to prove to her that he’d not only talked to Stiles, but accidentally invited him to the house that night. He was making progress, according to Talia Hale, and progress like that had to be rewarded. Which meant no Peter, and no comments about keeping the door open. 

She’d promised that much. 

“Dude, I’m excited,” Stiles said when he let the Jeep roll to a stop. “My baby didn’t even stall once - probably because she knows that I’m trying to impress you - and that is totally a sign that tonight is going to be awesome. It’s really cool of your Mom to let me join you for dinner. I know having an extra teenage boy there means making a ton of extra food. My Dad likes to joke that I must have a hollow leg, or whatever. And I don’t. I’ve checked.” 

Derek accidentally laughed at that last bit, because he was picturing Stiles doing the research just to make sure that he didn’t actually have a hollow leg. He knew that Stiles liked doing research, even on himself. Though, he’d have to discourage Stiles from doing research on him. He was not allowed to, as his mom said, let the werewolf out of the bag. 

Both Laura and Cora had told her it was a terrible joke. Still, she made it. Often. 

“You have a nice smile,” Stiles said, as if it was no big deal. “I like your bunny teeth.” 

At that, Derek was pretty sure that he was actually dying, even though his Mom had told him before that werewolves couldn’t actually die of embarrassment. But Stiles liked his smile and he’d noticed Derek’s stupid bunny teeth. 

Werewolves weren’t supposed to have bunny teeth. Right? 

“Thanks?” Derek awkwardly made it sound like a question. 

“Totally a compliment, big guy,” Stiles immediately reassured him. “I’m not an asshole, like Jackson. I don’t act passive aggressive like that. To Jackson maybe, but not to a friend. I genuinely think you have a nice smile and cute bunny teeth. Shit, I’m sorry, most dudes don’t like hearing the word cute, do they? Feel free to ignore me.” 

As if Derek could do such a thing. Even during the ride he’d been able to hear Stiles’ slightly irregular heartbeat over the surprisingly loud sound of the Jeep’s engine. Stiles simply could not be ignored - he was far too present at the front of Derek’s mind. That was not just because he was a potential mate, it was also just because he was Stiles. Loud and sarcastic and flailing and kind and funny and kind of beautiful Stiles. Derek’s maybe mate. 

“I could never ignore you,” Derek found himself saying as they reached the front door. 

The truth just came out of his mouth, just like that. This sort of thing was exactly why he didn’t usually talk to Stiles. Because he was completely embarrassing, and most teenage guys really weren’t interested in hearing soft stuff like this. 

“Because I’m loud, right?” Stiles just laughed. 

“Because you’re Stiles,” Derek returned, before his brain had any input in his words. 

Stiles turned to him, and his scent was at about a one-hundred-and-fifty percent of its usual strength, all broadcast right at Derek. It was all pleased warmth, and the underlying hint of attraction that Derek had only scented when Stiles was around Lydia when they were younger, in middle school. Okay, that part of his scent had been a lot more in Derek’s face back then, but this? This was nice. Derek wished he could smell it all the time. 

Somehow, his comment had left Stiles speechless. Stiles Stilinski, who always had some kind of smartass comment for everyone, was speechless over a thoughtless yet sincere comment that had just come out of Derek’s mouth without any kind of warning. 

“Mom, we’re here,” Derek chose to say when they entered. 

He had to exaggerate the volume a bit, because supposedly humans couldn’t hear voices at a normal volume from halfway across the house. He hoped he didn’t exaggerate too much or too little. Derek didn’t want Stiles to think he was any weirder than he’d probably already assumed at this point. He didn’t want to have to avoid Stiles again. Because this was nice. 

“Oh, cool, she’s home?” Stiles had found his voice. “Your Mom is kind of a local legend. My Dad speaks very highly of her. That’s really saying something.” 

Oh, right, because Stiles was the son of the Sheriff - and Derek wasn’t fucking terrified of meeting the man and having him find out right away that Derek was not only a monster straight out of myth, but also completely in love with the man’s son. That would be bad. 

“I appreciate that,” Derek’s Mom had made a quiet entrance. “Your father is a good man.” 

Stiles positively beamed with pride, Derek almost choked on the scent of it. Even though it was one of many scents he liked when it came to Stiles. Though, his Mom was keeping a close eye on him, because she was already smirking at him when Stiles wasn’t looking. Derek wished he could growl at her a little, to make her back off his mate. 

Shit, no, he had to make his mate seem suitable. He was introducing his mate to his Alpha, not just to his mother. And maybe that first part was the most important right now. 

“Wow, stealthy,” Stiles’ eyes were wide, but he didn’t smell scared. “You have to teach me that. Or Derek can do it. He’s good at it too. Just as long as you don’t use it to run away from me anymore, because that kind of sucked. I like this a lot better.” 

Talia Hale was openly smiling now, and Derek wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole, until Stiles reached out with a lanky arm, swinging it over Derek’s shoulders like they’d done this a million times before. Which they really, really hadn’t - only in Derek’s embarrassing dreams in which this was just a prelude to cuddling and Derek shoving his face in Stiles’ neck and inhaling. And some graphic stuff he was pointedly not thinking about with his mother present. She already knew far too much about this. 

“So does Derek,” Derek’s Mom answered for him, of course. 

“I know,” Stiles bounced on his toes a little. “He actually laughed. And I don’t mean laughing at me, like most people. That smile, it’s a killer. In the best way.” 

The compliments were getting a bit more… pointed? Was that the right word? Sure, Derek was extremely uncomfortable with this kind of talk happening in front of his Mom, but hearing that Stiles thought at least one of his features was attractive? It was making it really hard to bite down on all of the embarrassing words that he’d been choking back since seventh grade. There were a lot of things that Derek found attractive about Stiles, and if given the chance, he’d get his foot stuck in his mouth trying to explain them all. 

Because no one actually wanted to hear that, not even Stiles. 

“Derek is a very handsome boy,” of course his Mom lived to embarrass him. 

“Can’t deny that,” Stiles didn’t even make it weird, he made it worse. “I’m a huge fan of all of his faces and other things. And we can all pretend I didn’t say that. In front of your Mom. Derek, I understand if you want me to go now.” 

And then Stiles actually blushed, so beautifully, before unwrapping himself from Derek and turning away. He was about halfway to the door when Derek realized what was happening. 

“Don’t go,” Derek reached out and managed to grab Stiles’ hand. 

He probably should have let go as soon as Stiles stopped moving away, but he just didn’t, because he was kind of holding Stiles’ hand. Why would he want to ever let go? He wanted to memorize exactly how it felt and to memorize the way Stiles looked up at him from under his lashes, cheeks red and flushed. And the scent! Stiles reeked of affection and attraction in equal measures, and Derek was just about high on it. 

“I’ll leave you boys to it,” Derek’s Mom left them to it. “Dinner’s in about an hour. Peter might come in for a bit before dinner, so maybe don’t stay here if you want to leave with your dignity intact. As much as it can be, anyway.” 

Derek made sure his Mom was at least two rooms away before moving or doing anything. 

After a deep breath, he dared to ask. “Do you want to see my room?” 

* * *

Stiles was pretty sure he was dreaming at this point. Like, not only did Derek Hale not hate him, but he actually seemed to like Stiles. And not just as a person, but like… Like-like. Or whatever the stupid teenage boy equivalent was. 

Because let’s face it, he was a stupid teenage boy. 

And now he was up in Derek’s actual room. His bedroom, where Derek probably did… bedroom things. Oh God, his face was probably on fire and he was really trying to stay somewhat composed here, and Derek just turned to look at him. Just while he was having the thoughts he was trying really hard not to think about and oh boy. Sure, Stiles had liked the smile, but this look was something else. He almost wanted to call it wolfish. 

God, that was stupid, wasn’t it? Because here he was, finally putting it together that Derek didn’t really hate him, he was just shy and a little bit awkward. And then in the next second he described Derek as wolfish? That was just ridiculous. 

“So, your room,” Stiles started babbling, because that was just what he did. “It’s nice. I like what you’ve done with the place. The bed is soft and… big. Why would you - nope, I can hear where that’s going and I should probably shut the hell up before I say anything even more embarrassing than I already have. Which would be hard. Oh, fuck, I did it again.” 

Derek laughed, actually laughed, and not in the unkind way where he was actually laughing at Stiles instead of laughing with him. No, this was genuine amusement and Stiles was pretty sure he was staring, when he should have been avoiding eye contact after all of the stupid stuff he’d been babbling about. Like, there was no reason that Derek would still want to be his friend after this, but he hadn’t run away yet. For some reason. 

“I like you so much,” Derek said then, and Stiles just gaped at him. 

Because he hadn’t expected to have any auditory hallucinations. But apparently they were happening anyway. Because that was just his luck. 

“You like me,” he repeated dumbly. “Holy shit, you like me. Me. Stiles Stilinski me. The guy you’ve been avoiding for ages - because you’re shy and awkward and you like me so you don’t want me to find out how adorable you are. And honestly dude, if I’d known about this sooner I would probably have been just as into it as I am now.” 

And Stiles was really fucking into it. Like, he hadn’t realized how into Derek he’d been - for ages, actually. Because he’d been obsessing about the mystery surrounding Derek Hale, and obsessing about why he didn’t seem to like Stiles all that much, to avoid dealing with the fact that the guy he really, really liked didn’t seem interested in him at all. In fact, for a long time he’d thought Derek actively despised him, and nobody would want to deal with that. So Stiles focused on the mystery of it all - he’d always liked mysteries. 

Apparently the mystery was Derek’s crush on him. A very satisfying reveal. 

“You like me?” Derek repeated, as a question this time. 

“Duh,” Stiles gave the obvious answer. “You’re all cute and smart and mysterious, and you treat me and the benchwarmers like actual people instead of pointless losers like Jackson. And I like your smile and that face you make when you think about doing stuff with me, probably in your big, big bed. Though I’m open to trying it somewhere else as well, because I have very little shame and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have trouble keeping my hands off you.” 

Having no filter was usually just embarrassing, but right now it was entertaining as hell, watching Derek’s responses to what Stiles was babbling about. At first he got a bit blushy and adorable, listening to Stiles awkwardly complimenting him - and then Stiles started talking sexy (as best he could, anyway), and the wolfish look was back. 

Yeah, he still had no other way to describe it. 

“Stiles,” Derek almost growled at him. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t hear you refusing my advances,” Stiles was gloating now. “You’ve probably been writing Derek Stilinski in your journal for ages. For about as long as I’ve been in denial about having feelings for you, because I thought you hated me.” 

Judging by Derek’s blush, Stiles definitely was not completely wrong about the journal thing - and just the thought of Derek being so damn into him for possibly years was kind of stupidly romantic. He’d been pining - for  _ Stiles _ . It was almost too hard to believe, but apparently it was true. And Stiles was so stupidly charmed by it. 

He just liked this dork so much. This sour wolf with his serious brows and his bunny teeth and his ridiculous strength and the way he challenged Stiles academically. 

“I never hated you,” Derek reached for Stiles’ hands, all earnest charm. 

“I know,” Stiles nodded like a bobblehead, then giggled. “I know. Oh my God, you made my dream come true. I got to be Han Solo for a second there.” 

That made Derek roll his eyes, and Stiles was delighted at the display of humor and sarcasm from his… boyfriend? Shit, could they be? That would be awesome. It was just that Stiles didn’t really know how to confirm it without outright asking. And according to the many stories he’d read on the topic, outright asking was awkward and ridiculous. 

“You do know Han Solo is a giant dork, right?” Derek quirked an eyebrow. “All of those misogynist nerds wanted him to be a womanizer, but he’s literally awkward and flustered around Leia for like three movies. His only friend is a Wookie, and let’s be real, Chewie is definitely the badass out of the two of them. Well, and Leia.” 

Okay, not only had Derek actually seen Star Wars - suck it, Scott - but he was actually constructing an argument about Han Solo’s softer side and everything about that was completely doing it for Stiles at the moment. 

“Fucking marry me,” Stiles ordered. “Right here, right now. You are incredible.” 

And yes, that did make Derek blush again, but it was a good look on him, and he didn’t make fun of Stiles for saying something so out there after they’d only gotten on the same page about their feelings about five minutes ago. Derek wasn’t going to make fun of him for falling so hard and so deep and so wholeheartedly - Derek wasn’t going to think it was too much. 

Because maybe, Derek was right there with him. 

“Not yet,” Derek told him. “When we’re older.” 

That wasn’t even a no. Like, even though Stiles knew Derek wasn’t going to dismiss it with a cruel joke, but to not even get a no but a not yet instead? That was beyond all of his brightest expectations - and it answered a question he hadn’t wanted to ask. 

“We are so boyfriends,” Stiles fistpumped. 

Derek had barely managed to let go of one of Stiles’ hands so he could do it, so they were still holding hands a little. Derek’s hand was warm and strong and surprisingly soft for someone who held a crosse and a bat several times a week. It was nice, beyond nice, really. Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand and waited patiently for Derek to make the next move. 

And apparently patience really was a virtue, because Derek leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Stiles’ lips, blushing the whole time. 

* * *

He’d kissed Stiles about a dozen times by now, just in the last thirty minutes. He would have kissed him more, had he not realized that it was almost dinnertime, and there was probably something he needed to tell Stiles before then. 

There was no way his mother would not know that he’d been kissing Stiles, and there was no way that she was going to keep her mouth shut about knowing it. And while yes, Stiles’ lips were red and a bit used, there was no way that anyone could know exact details without having supernatural powers. So maybe it was better to tell Stiles now before he found out in the middle of dinner with most of the Hale family. That was just too awkward. 

“Stiles?” Derek pulled back a little, causing Stiles to sway back into his orbit immediately. 

“Yeah, babe?” Stiles responded, and immediately turned bright red. “Oh, shit. Are pet names okay? I know not everyone likes them. I do, though. Like them.” 

Stiles had called him babe, and Derek’s heart had fluttered stupidly because just a few hours ago he’d never even properly talked to Stiles, and now they were dating and Stiles was using pet names like they were normal, and no big deal at all. A lot had changed, and Derek loved pretty much every bit of it. Stiles was just… so much. So perfect. 

“I like them,” Derek grinned helplessly. 

“Good,” Stiles immediately leaned in for another kiss. 

While Derek was happy to keep kissing for the next fifteen minutes or so - that was about all the time they had left before dinner was ready - there was still that thing that they really had to talk about. Before anyone else told him. 

“You know that I’m a werewolf, right?” Derek needed to be very clear about this. 

That silenced Stiles, at least for a little while. So apparently he hadn’t known, or guessed, and honestly, even for Stiles that would have been a stretch. Most people didn’t start off thinking of mythological creatures, and though Stiles had written a couple of papers about folklore (for only semi-related school subjects), most people never considered the concept of werewolves being real. And in Beacon Hills, a sleepy North-California town where nothing really happened. 

It was good that Stiles didn’t look worried, or scared. He mostly looked pensive. 

“That makes so much sense,” Stiles nodded sagely. “You were probably howling at the moon over me before, and now you just look at me like you want to get those fangs in me and mount me. And like, I’d be fine with all of that. But please don’t shed in my Jeep.” 

Great, dog jokes. He honestly should have expected that - at least now he knew that Stiles was happy to go there. And he assumed that Stiles was already thinking of about a dozen more jokes like this one - give him time and there’d be hundreds. And this was the guy that Derek was dating, this was his potential mate. His life-mate, possibly. 

There was a lot to be said about his taste, he was sure of that. But first, he had to set Stiles straight about what it was like to be a werewolf. 

“There will be no shedding,” Derek growled at him. “My mom is the only one who can turn into an actual wolf. Though she thinks Laura and I will be able to do it too. Eventually.” 

That was a weird idea, but it was also kind of cool. And Stiles looked appropriately impressed at the idea, even though he had absolutely no idea how rare that trait actually was. The Hales were one of the few born-wolf families left who still carried the full-shift gene. That was a thing he could tell Stiles about later, because Stiles was going to want to hear absolutely everything, Derek was sure of that. Stiles was just that insatiably curious about everything. 

“Show me your wolf face,” Stiles stupidly made grabby hands at him. 

Case in point. 

Derek was so damn into this idiot, so he took a deep breath to give Stiles at least a little bit of a warning, and then obediently shifted into beta-shift and waited for Stiles’ verdict. 

“Where do your eyebrows go?” That was Stiles’ first question, of course. “Honestly, this magic thing is messing with all laws of nature. There’s just so much of them when you’re all human-looking, and now they’re just… gone? I like your eyebrows, Derek. This is just rude.” 

It was weird, laughing while beta-shifted. He didn’t usually laugh much like this, always focused on the serious stuff. But Stiles had a gift for making him laugh, it seemed. Even when he was nervous and more than a little bit worried about what his new boyfriend would think of him actually being the kind of monster that people warned their kids about. If it had been anyone but Stiles, he probably would not have dared to tell them this soon. 

“Oooooh, fangs,” Stiles actually reached out to touch, like an idiot. “Can I touch? Those look sharp! Awesome! I should get you to bite Jackson. He totally deserves it.” 

Because Derek had been a werewolf for all of his life, he knew to move very carefully around humans. Now that he was shifted in front of one, something that rarely happened, he was even more careful - he didn’t want to nick Stiles’ soft skin with one of his fangs. That would put a damper on their relationship. Not because Stiles would be scared - he’d continue to throw himself at Derek in the same way he’d done earlier - but because Derek would be too worried to let him get that close again. Stiles didn’t heal like Derek did. 

Which left him with an idiot human boyfriend holding a sharp tooth between his fingers. 

“Stop,” Derek slurred slightly due to Stiles’ grip on one fang. 

“Dude,” Stiles looked positively reverent, “this is the most amazing thing. I mean, I thought you were awesome before. But this? The coolest thing I’ve ever seen, basically. Not that I’ve seen a lot of cool things, but you know what I mean.” 

Derek waited until Stiles had let go before he nodded, because he did know. And slowly, he let himself shift back to his mostly human form. The eyebrows came back, the fangs went back to being his stupid bunny teeth, and Stiles still just stared at him with a look of awe on his face. 

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Derek had to look away. 

“Right,” Stiles reached for Derek’s hand. “Dinner with wolves. Sounds doable to me. I’m assuming your family has had humans over for dinner before.” 

They were holding hands again, and Derek was still astonished at the fact that it had happened so easily, really. He had expected it to be awkward to go from completely avoiding Stiles to suddenly having him very close all the time, but it turned out to be everything but. He’d adjusted so quickly that he was pretty sure that soon he’d want Stiles even closer, wrapped up in Derek’s arms for hours and hours. If Stiles was able to stay still for that long. 

“They’ll probably be a lot,” Derek warned, as they opened the door. 

Gone was the safety of Derek’s soundproof bedroom. All of the kids - and Derek’s parents, thank God - had a soundproof bedroom, because everyone needed privacy from time to time. And there was hardly any privacy in a wolf pack. 

“Derek, you have met me, right?” Stiles teased, knocking his shoulder against Derek’s. 

Right. That much was true. Stiles was very right about that, and Derek was just going to have to trust that Stiles was able to handle himself. He resolved not to let Stiles meet Uncle Peter for a while, because that was going to be mortifying for everyone involved, but anyone else he could probably handle. Probably. Hopefully. 

And then came Cora. “Stiles, I see you finally helped my brother pull his head out of his ass.” 

“It’s such a nice ass, too,” Stiles grinned happily at her. 

That settled it. Stiles was definitely able to handle himself, and Derek was already looking forward to school on Monday. The look on Jackson’s face was going to be hilarious. He was happy to deal with Boyd and Erica’s gloating for that. 

And for Stiles. Anything for Stiles. 


End file.
